Ireland

I arrived in cork Monday morning at 7am but I don't remember it very well.... I must have been really sleeping - or perhaps Ireland has taken full control of my brain.  I remember kind of looking out the plane window but im not sure it came close to stavangers landing because I didn't take any pictures.

I rented my car (paying way too much) and headed off to see a castle and the Jameson factory.  It was a quick drive and early in the morning, so I stopped by a breakfast place to kill some time; I had a mediocre meal.  It had everything I wanted but not cooked the way I am used to - the bacon was really different and tasted more like salted, tough, ham.  The eggs were so plain, no cheese no substance just plain plain eggs.  No big deal I ate them with a smile, better than most European breakfasts so far but still not home cooking..  Also I did notice that every guy there had the same shirts on, blue sweater over with a flannel collared under...  Very strange - they were not in a group but dressed the same.  

The Jameson factory was interesting enough, I drank every kind of Jameson as well as the other whiskies distilled there.  It is the only place Jameson is made, in the entire world and they have one or two types of Jameson there that they do not sell anywhere else.

After the Jameson factory I checked into my hotel then I met up with a friend I had met through a travel website, she took me to different places, we had dinner, and then ended up at an open mic singer / songwriter night which was really nice.  I really enjoyed the country type duel guitars and singers...  Probably more than she did - but she looked like she really enjoyed it as well.  By chance I also found out she was Hungarian (from Slovakia) and I felt proud that I knew all about Slovakia / hungarian history largely in part to the conversation with Dracula the Serbian - when I called him a Russian.

From there we walked back to the hotel and parted ways, a really cozy comfortable night in cork (poor weather).  I fell asleep so deeply and rested for the last few weeks...  In Norway I was always trying to do something early so I didn't get to sleep in, in London I barely got any sleep again due to having to wake up at 330 for a flight.  Sweden i had the walking tour and a plane to catch..  Finally I just slept in - over 10 hours! I had a nice breakfast buffet and checked out - ready for my full day trip through ring of Kerry and hopefully into dingle/cliffs of Moher.

On the way to ring of Kerry I got a flat tire, the whole time in Ireland it's been cold and rainy- great I thought.  But the tire problem introduced me to opportunities to meet people I wouldn't have had otherwise and I am richer for it.  I got a real taste of Ireland when I needed to change my tire and get it fixed through my insurance and local garages...  And it was all free thanks to the large fee I paid in the beginning..  But as much as I wanted to avoid changing the tire myself- I had to ...  It was easy, but cold and wet.  Due to the garage being so far north I decided to do dingle first opposed to ring of Kerry.  It wa getting late as well and dingle is smaller.  Though it was cold windy and rainy - it turned out to make the ocean come alive - for beautiful views of cliffs and waves crashing ... So a curse is a blessing after all.

Driving in Ireland is really fun but really dangerous.  There is barely enough room for two cars and the speed limits are rather high.. There are no passing lanes and almost never enough foresight to pass or get a dashed line telling you that it's ok to pass.  You drive again on the opposite (left) side and the sites are amazing - like car crash amazing.  I was wow'd more than I thought I could be at this point of the trip.. I only hope my pictures turn out half as good as it looked in person...  I was driving watching the road waiting for the next site to develop thinking the best was over and then boom another massive beautiful site... I was wow'ing and laughing to myself out loud - applauding Ireland for its presentation...  I couldn't believe they just kept coming and I was glad there wasn't much traffic because I was in a hurry and trying to take pictures from the car.  I didn't WANT to stop but I did several times...

I feel like everything is awesome on this trip, but yet again I feel the need to say "Ireland" is awesome.

The night was closing - I had done and seen a lot.  Traveling alone is a huge benefit in some areas and lonely in others... Today I was reminded of the benefits because I could push on further and further and not need to worry about someone else and how they felt about it.  I got so much in and speedily rushed through things to capture just what I wanted...  I was as selfish as I could be and that allowed me to be very kind to the few people I did meet.    

Looking at the map and the time I wanted to set up my day as best as I could for tomorrow- I had a new urge to see the cliffs of Moher after realizing how little I had to drive for such a reward (thanks lynda) and decided to put myself in Tralee fairly close to cliffs of Moher (I think).  I will start the morning off with Moher and try my best to speed through ring of Kerry, depending how far I get either head back to cork at night or spend another night site seeing in Killarney.  Either way I need to be in cork at 9am at the airport to fly out Friday to Barcelona.  

The mashed potatoes here suck...  I've ordered so many - anticipating awesome homemade potatoes but they make them differently than I am used to... And I think I need to find a new food.

As the night ended I made some friends at a local pub and was introduced to Irish life, it was really fun and people were overly nice and welcoming, the Irish way perhaps.  

Waking up late, I headed to ring of Kerry - I was now talked out of going to cliffs of Moher - and the ring of Kerry was much like dingle loop...  It was beautiful.  I took several pictures but could have taken many more - I skipped the opportunity to take some pictures because I was tired of stopping every kilometer.

Again I have to comment on the driving - it was so fun today zipping through the hills of Ireland on cliff lines.  100 kph is fast up there and I rarely hit it... I was becoming a pro driver up there zipping through and almost hitting the speed limit at times but rather scared at the same time.  I never risked my safety, and even pulled over to take a nap when I felt drowsy...  Ireland is not the place to risk driving - if ever I thought I would be in a serious accident it was here.

The drive back to cork was quiet and not much to talk about.  However, arriving to cork was like a different city - I had to recheck the map several times in disbelief.  I must have come In from a different direction or the weather made that big of a difference - this small city transformed into something resembling a small prague.  I was really impressed with a city I had just come from a few days earlier. 

Along the way I needed some wifi so I stopped at the first pub that pulled up wifi from the street.  I met the bartender and what appeared to be a bar back, they introduced themselves by first name real professionally and were overly kind, helping me situate myself and recommending places to eat and sleep and grab a beer.  I checked into a hostel they recommended for 20$ and went out for dinner at the #1 recommended place by my friend (prior to me coming to cork) - "cafe serendipity." 

My appetizer was interesting - 4/5 offered appetizers were salad or seafood so of course I chose the 5th option, some kind of chilled beat soup with quail egg and some words I didn't understand.  It was delicious and I began to think this was a "Schweiss" (sp?) level restaurant (the Berlin restaurant that took my number one all time).  The garlic bread was simple but well done to perfection on every bite and the soup had a mixture of cheese / tomato / vinegar / beat? Quail egg? / butter / soft / thick / that I have never had before.  A new flavor that resembled pickle and I really dislike pickle but this was good.

I stopped my dinner to type this - updating as best I can as I go- the dinner is equally as good as Berlin now tied for top dinner ever.  I had the duck leg and other stuff I don't know the words to... The carrots were the best I've ever had...  And I've had a lot of carrots.  I need to learn how to cook them like this wow.  The wine was not that great by the way so berlin is up one on drinks provided but as far as food goes, wow.  The local that recommended this to me said it was expensive but it was the same as Berlin, and I've been paying these prices for my pub food the last few days - the difference between tourist and local :(  

 I really am pleased at how someone could cook so well, turn simplicity into beauty - every ingredient was a masterpiece by themselves then mixed to create a symphony mmm I am now a food lover and both my top two ever were cheap (40$ for appetizer main and dessert + drinks).  Of course I had to get dessert, I changed my choice from the typical apple pie and ice cream to a new item added tonight: "pistachio brownie with marscapone - delicious.  Each bite got better... What a good night I am so comfortable and cozy again, must be the cork or Irish way...  I've never felt so comfortable traveling - like I was at home and ready for bed early each night.

Once I was back at my hostel I didn't even want to brush my teeth because I had such a good flavor left from dinner...  But I did.  Then I went downstairs to the bar area where it was slam packed for the local performer, another perk of cork - lots of local music and alcohol.  I again met with my host and we went to two different places, we enjoyed really good cheese and some wine tasting- Ireland's is not known for its wine, they joked the worst wine in Spain is better and cheaper than the good wine in Ireland (maybe a little exaggerated) - that makes another reason I am excited for Barcelona.

I packed up and headed to the airport after another good night in Ireland.  It was a short flight and I made friends with the person sitting next to me who had planned out his Barcelona trip very well - it was his only travel spot so he even learned some Spanish...

And then we left Ireland.